A user of a network computer, such as a thin client or a terminal for example, may want to restore software for an operating system on the network computer, for example, if the operating system software becomes corrupted. A user of a network computer may also want to upgrade software for an operating system on a network computer, for example, when bugs in the operating system have been identified and fixed and/or when new features have been added to the operating system. One or more techniques for restoring and/or upgrading operating system software require a user to have knowledge of both the correct operating system software for the restoration or upgrade as well as the procedure to perform the restoration or upgrade.
As one example, a user of a network computer may have to obtain a compact disc (CD) having an image of the correct operating system software for a restoration or upgrade and identify and execute software on the CD or network computer to install the image on the network computer. Having to obtain a new CD for an upgrade or having to identify among multiple CD's the one or more CD's having the desired version of operating system software exacerbates this procedure.
As another example, a user of a network computer may have to identify, and possibly supply the address of, a file transfer protocol (FTP) server and identify, and possibly supply the name of, a specific file having an image of the correct operating system software for a restoration or upgrade. The identified file may then be downloaded from the identified server for installation of the image on the network computer.
A user of a network computer may alternatively create a backup image of operating system software currently installed on the network computer to later restore the operating system software by installing the backup image. Such a technique, however, requires the user to create a backup image and possibly to identify the desired version of a backup image among multiple created backup images when the operating system software is to be restored. Such a technique may not be used to upgrade to operating system software not previously installed on the network computer.
A user may want to restore or upgrade firmware, for example, on an Internet appliance, such as a router for example. One or more techniques to do so require a user to use a host computer system that communicates with the router to identify on a server on the Internet a specific file having the correct firmware and to download the identified file onto the host computer system. The user then identifies and executes software in the identified file and/or on the host computer system to install the firmware on the router.